Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to investigate Miss X’s safeguarding concerns. The Council’s decision has not caused Miss X a significant injustice and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council did not investigate her concerns that she was at risk of harm by her employment situation.
2. Miss X said the Council repeatedly referenced wrong information about her employment in its communications with her.
3. Miss X said she has been left at risk because of the Council’s inaction and said the matters have caused her extreme distress.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Miss X lives in Authority A’s area. Miss X contacted the Council in August 2025, located where she was employed before a period of absence. Miss X said she was at risk of harm because of her employment situation.
8. The Council considered Miss X’s referral in line with the Care Act. It said it did this as part of an information gathering exercise to decide if a formal safeguarding investigation was necessary. It decided Miss X did not meet the threshold for a safeguarding investigation at that point and again subsequently, when Miss X provided more information. It signposted Miss X to Authority A for it to consider what, if any support would be necessary. It also contacted Authority A about the matter.
9. We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by an organisation.
10. In this case, I consider the injustice claimed by Miss X is not attributable to the actions, or inactions of the Council.
11. Also, the available evidence suggests the incorrect information referenced by the Council in its communications with Miss X was minimal and this would not amount to a significant injustice.
12. Finally, in any case, the Ombudsman cannot tell the Council it should launch an investigation and intervene in the way Miss X wants it to. Therefore, there is likely no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement. For these reasons, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the Council’s decision has not caused her a significant injustice and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman